Rodney

“An island named for a man called Hroda” — Old English origin

Boy's name · #1093 in the US (2025) · Retro

Rodney's best rank, #33, came in 1965; it has stepped well back to #1093 today. Roughly 247,000 boys have been named Rodney since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records. Rod is a short form of Rodney.

Around the world: about 1 in 18,000 boys in Canada (2024).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 23 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Rodneys

Rodney Robert Porter — English biochemist and Nobel laureate (1917–1985)
Rodney Dangerfield — American stand-up comedian (1921–2004)
Rodney King — African American police brutality victim (1965–2012)
Rodney Williams — Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda (born 1947)
Rodney Mullen — American professional skateboarder

In stories & tradition

Rodney McKay — Stargate Atlantis
Rodney Trotter — Only Fools and Horses
Rodney Blackstock — Emmerdale

What Rodneys become

Among 937 notable people named Rodney:

Sports figures appear 2.27× more often than among typical names — e.g. Rodney Strasser, Sierra Leonean footballer.

Similar names: Jeffery · Roger · Tony · Lance · Ronnie · Randy

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service